The Heir of the Rings
by Moe-the-Insomniac
Summary: A mysterious, young girl is found, and Legalos won't let Aragon abandon her. They don't know anything about her, she barely knows it herself. But finding her could mean a short end to their journey. Takes place during the FOTR. Summary inside.
1. Default Chapter

Title: The Heir of the Rings  
  
Author: Moe  
  
Summary: When a little girl is found by the Fellowship, Legalos refuses to leave her behind. There's something about her, but they don't know it. When they do find out, they're going to wish the left her in the forest.  
  
Disclaimer: Me don't own anything. My brother isn't out of law school yet so I can't say I do.  
  
Authors Note: I only know the events of the Fellowship of the Ring. Not the Two Towers, or Return of the King. So bare with me, this is in the time from of the FOTR.  
Chapter One- The Small Discovery  
Aragon collapsed upon the flat rock, reaching for the canteen hanging at his side. He took a long sip, not caring that it was more than his ration of the day.  
" We're not going to make it" Legalos approached him from behind, " it's too late".  
Aragon sighed, " negative thoughts won't get us anywhere".  
  
Legalos sat down next to him, " neither is this. What if we can't make it in time?".  
" Then we'll die trying. Well, the hobbits and I will, you of course wouldn't".  
  
Legalos stared at him, " I can die".  
  
" That's not something I'd mention too often if I were you".  
  
When Aragon left, Legalos looked at the sky above. Grey, and growing darker as each second passed. There was rain coming, he could sense it. That was something they defiantly did not need, horrible weather in a journey that was already against them.  
  
" The Orcs, they're close" Frodo announced. Legalos turned and saw the blue mist leaking from the slip of his sword.  
  
Aragon glanced at Legalos, " we must get them out of here".  
  
" No need to tell me twice" he muttered.  
  
The four hobbits and the two guiders ran across the grassy field into the forest ahead. Dark trees made the forest pitch black as they felt the first few raindrops. Standing on the leaf-covered road, galloping horseshoes were easily heard in the distance, growing closer and closer.  
  
" Get off the road!" Aragon called. Legalos grabbed Sam and Pippin's shirt collars and dove into the muddy pit.  
  
As the fierce trampling grew in view, the hobbits sank deeper into the mud. The horses were pulled to a stop directly above them. Legalos ducked behind a large tree stump, though still couldn't see what was happening.  
  
They growled and groaned, tiny screams were heard, a small whimper. Another scream it sounded so young, the rustling of dried leaves drowning out the escape as the Orcs rode off. The six waited until galloping could no longer be heard. Aragon emerged first onto the road, the hobbits slowly following, then Legalos.  
  
" Let's go" Aragon ordered.  
  
" Wait!" Legalos easily obtained their attention, " didn't you hear that?" though it was dark, he could tell the others had confused expressions. " Someone else was with them".  
  
" It's not our business. They're gone anyways".  
" No" Legalos said. He stood at the other side of the road, trying to spot something in the pure darkness.  
  
" What are you looking for?" Frodo asked.  
  
There was movement, he heard a twig snap. His eyes darting back and forth among the forest air.  
  
" Legalos!".  
  
Just as Aragon was about to command another order, a white speck seemed to have emerged out of nowhere. He jumped off the road and ran until that speck was in clear view. Legalos dropped next to it. It, was a human. He placed a hand on the white cloth, feeling a heartbeat against his skin.  
  
" Legalos, what are you doing?" he heard Aragon's voice echo.  
  
Raindrops above fell harder, the body twitched as each one hit. Legalos pulled the small person into his arms, slowly lifting off the ground, it wasn't in the least bit hard. There was no struggle going back to the road.  
  
" What is that?" Sam was the first to speak when he returned.  
  
" I don't know" Legalos knelt on the ground again, laying the body onto the dirt.  
  
Aragon appeared on the other side, turning it onto it's back. Long, light hair brushed aside to reveal a young girls face. The hobbits crowded around, at the end of the girls dress. If a mortal, she couldn't have been any older than five years of age.  
" She looks hurt" Aragon referred to her being unconscious with brusies and bloody scratches along her dirt stained face and neck. " Does she look familiar to any of you?" he asked the hobbits, but they all shook their heads.  
  
Legalos placed a hand over her cheek, " she's cold as ice".  
  
Frodo quickly removed his cloak, handing it over to Aragon, who placed it over her. She twitched again.  
  
" We can't leave her here" Legalos said.  
  
Aragon looked up at him, " we're not in the position to take on someone else, it's difficult enough with only ourselves".  
  
Legalos was outraged, " we can't leave her here".  
  
" These roads are used during day, someone else will find her".  
  
Legalos paused, " like the Orcs? You know they'll be back".  
  
Aragon glared at him, knowing he had a small chance in winning, and was nowhere near it. He sighed, " alright, we'll take her, but only for the night. As soon as we can identify her" he did not finish. " Can you carry her?" they weren't going to have any horses until the next day.  
  
He nodded and scooped the young girl into his arms once again. She let out a small moan. The girl, whomever she was, had appeared out of nowhere that night. It was a mystery of who she was and where she came from. Orcs only followed orders, and wouldn't go after an innocent child.  
  
Unless, she wasn't innocent. 


	2. Munchkin

The Heir of the Rings  
Authors Note- Thank you to Aragon-lover and greenleafgirl for reviewing. And thank you to greenleafgirl for the spelling correction. I may never get that, hehe.  
Chapter Two- Munchkin  
The rain had not yet calmed and grew further into a storm. The hobbits, Aragon, and the newest addition had found a cave that was hidden in the mountains. They were suppose to keep going throughout the night, but the weather was too strong.  
Sam, Merry, Frodo, Pippin, and Aragon slept soundly at the end of the cave. Legolas was staying awake at the entrance, on lookout. Not only for the Orcs, but for the girl. Aragon warned that she could be potentially dangerous, but it seemed impossible. She had been attacked by those of evil forces, what danger could she bring?  
After the discovery, Pippin, who the girl was miraculously smaller than, said she looked like a ' munchkin'. No one else was too sure about what a munchkin even was, but it became her nickname. At least, until they knew the real one.  
Legolas watched the rain fall, the girl asleep next to him, still with Frodo's cloak over her. From far away, it looked as though someone was running into the forest, but he couldn't tell from where he was. Over all, he was too exhausted to even care, it was probably his imagination. He looked back, to see two big eyes staring towards him.  
  
The two froze, staring at one another. He wasn't sure how to react. " Hell". She was pale, frightened, and very alert as though thinking she was in danger. " We're not going to hurt you" her head darted towards the others, then back to him. " We found you in the forest, on the side of the road. You were being chased, can you remember?".  
Through her trembling, she nodded.  
" You're safe now" by her glare, she seemed to wear down and no longer be scared. " Do you have a name?". It was like she knew that Aragon would force her to be left alone if she revealed her identity, because she didn't respond. " I'm sorry" he realized maybe he was saying too much too soon, " this must be very scary for you".  
  
The girl pulled her knees tightly against her chest.  
" You probably don't know what I'm saying' Legolas said more to himself, thinking she only spoke a different language. But she caught his attention when rapidly nodding. " You do?" he asked.  
She searched the cave floor for a moment, retrieving a small stone and turning to the rough wall behind her. She struggled, though manage to write a message in Elvish. Legolas squinted in the dim firelight to read her writing. " My name is Emmalyn" he said out loud.  
  
He assumed by her size, she wouldn't be living out in the Middle Earth on her own. " Emmalyn, if you tell me where your mother and father are, I can help you get back to them" he glanced over at a sleeping Aragon, " very soon".  
  
She turned again and slowly began writing. There was only one word to read. " Dead". He never thought he could feel so sympathetic for someone he hardly knew, in fact, he didn't know her at all. " I'm so sorry, but, is there anywhere for you to go" she look her head. Legolas leaned against the wall behind him and closed his eyes. Only opening them again when hearing the stone scratching.  
' Please help me' her latest message appeared under the other two. Tears were dwelling in her young eyes, obvious enough for him to see.  
" I'm going to try" but he had no idea what to do. Once again, Emmalyn went back to the stone wall, writing ' I don't want to be' then drawing a line to where she already had written ' dead'.  
  
Before he could ask what she meant by that, or at least why she'd write something like that, Pippin awoke, loudly yawning. He noticed them and immediately crawled over.  
He glanced at Legolas and then stared at Emmalyn, " munchkin" he smirked.  
  
She raised an eyebrow and Legolas rolled his eyes, " her name is Emmalyn".  
" Munchkin sounds better" Pippin looked at her again, " where did she come from?".  
Legolas shrugged, " I haven't gotten that far yet". The two gently glared at her, but she shook her head. She didn't want them to know.  
" How are we suppose to return her if we don't even know where she's suppose to go?".  
  
Legolas stared deeply into the girls eyes. They were bright blue, a lot like Frodo's. She stared in return, as though trying to tell him something. Perhaps he didn't get the message correct, but he got something. " She wouldn't be any safer out there alone than she would be with us" he paused, " I'll take her back to Rivendell".  
Pippin looked at him with the insane look he usually receives. " But you just said it'd be too dangerous for her to come along".  
" Exactly, I'll take her now".  
He snorted, " and just how to expect to do that".  
Legolas looked out at the shades of the night sky. " If I were to leave now, I could make it back there by dawn. You wouldn't be too far ahead, I could catch up".  
  
" Yeah, just in time for Strider to spear you to death. You know he trusts you more than any of us, he'd kill you if you left".  
  
" I said I'd come back" he turned his attention to Emmalyn, " I'm going to take you back to my home. It's safe there, no one will hurt you" he had to gain her trust. She paused, but then nodded. Legolas helped her stand and slid towards the cave's entrance. " Tell Aragon where we went, don't make it sound as bad as it really is".  
Pippin ignored his chance to object as the two exited the cave.  
Legolas removed the saddle from one of the horses that had come this far with them. The smartest thing he could be doing at that time was leaving it behind for the others. He had just helped Emmalyn climb on when there was struggling footsteps behind him.  
" I'm coming with you" Pippin said. 


End file.
